Burnham Beeches Management Plan 2010 - the City of London ...

2.2 Importance of grazing
Grazing is seen by the City of London and
Natural England to be the critical project to
ensure the long term, sustainable management
of Burnham Beeches as an SSSI and SAC. The
vision to expand conservation grazing across
Burnham Beeches is fully supported by Natural
England and is seen as the ideal method by
which to ensure the reserve’s long term viability
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The habitats for which Burnham Beeches is
famous - wood pasture and heathland/mire -
were all once grazed by domestic livestock.
There has been a long history of livestock grazing
across the area, which can be deduced from the
age of the pollards (which must have been
developed in a grazed system), the presence of
the pound, historical records of species found
and writings and pictures describing the Beeches
in the past.
If grazing was a fundamental force, shaping the
Beeches for centuries, then the last 60 years
without grazing created many of the problems of
loss of habitat and diversity that we face today.
However, the reintroduction and subsequent
expansion of the grazing since 1992 has already
reaped benefits.
In the areas that are now grazed there are plants
not seen for over 80 years, grown from seed left
in the soil now that grazing animals have created
the open, light conditions and varied ground
surface they needed to grow and thrive. The
growth of ‘weedy’ woodland trees like birch is
kept in check and a diverse mosaic of plant
species and structures are created benefitting
many invertebrates. Tree regeneration is not
completely stopped however: shrubs and
dead wood protect some
seedlings that are able to grow
into mature oak and beech trees.
2 the need for Management - grazing
Species such as juniper grow and regenerate
better in these environments, as can already
been seen on the heath, and there is a whole
new habitat for the specialist plants and animals
that rely on herbivore dung.
Grazing is undoubtedly the best management
option for these areas because it creates a more
varied structure of vegetation than mechanical
methods of management, such as mowing. It is
also more sustainable: cheaper in the long run,
and less polluting.
Expanding the grazing across Burnham Beeches
presents significant challenges, especially in
relation to traffic management and poorly
controlled dogs. However, there are clear
benefits to visitors as the livestock open up the
landscape enabling better views and improving
access, while the animals are an attraction in
themselves.
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